Chrysanthemum plant named Pink Champagne

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Pink Champagne, characterized by its lavender pink ray floret color, almost fully double and shatter-resistant flowers, compact cushion habit, freely branching and flowering, seven week flower response, floriferousness, and its early natural flowering season in the garden.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum morifolium, Ramat., hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name Pink Champagne.

Pink Champagne is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new Chrysanthemum cultivars with freely branchingcompact cushion habit, early flower response and large lavenderdecorative flowers, making it suitable for production as a gardenvariety. Such traits in combination were not present or neededimprovement in previously available commercial cultivars.

Pink Champagne was originated from a hybridization made by applicant ina controlled breeding program in New Hartford, N.Y. in September 1985.The female parent was Debonaire, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,324.The male parent of Pink Champagne was an unnamed seedling. PinkChampagne, was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated parentage by applicant in August 1986 in acontrolled environment in New Hartford, N.Y.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Pink Champagne, wasaccomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initialselection in March 1987 in a controlled environment in New Hartford,N.Y. by a technician working under formulations established andsupervised by applicant. Horticultural examination of selected unitsinitiated in Aug. 1987 has demonstrated that the combination ofcharacteristics as herein disclosed for Pink Champagne are firmly fixedand are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Pink Champagne, which in combinationdistinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Lavender pink ray floret color.

2. Almost fully double flowers, with only a few disc florets present.

3. Flowers very resistant to shattering.

4. Fully expanded ray florets approximately 30-35 mm long and 7-8 mmwide.

5. Average of 360 ray florets per capitulum.

6. Capitulum 6-8 cm in diameter.

7. Seven week flower response.

8. Performs well in the outdoor garden, flowering early in naturalseason.

9. Compact cushion habit, making it suitable for production in 4" to onegallon containers.

10. Freely branching and flowering.

Pink Champagne has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length. Thefollowing observations, measurements and comparisons describe plantsgrown in New Hartford, N.Y. under greenhouse conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial practice.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to Pink Champagne is the maternal parentDebonaire. In comparison to Debonaire, Pink Champagne has a lighter pinkflower color, much larger fower size, and a one week earlier flowerresponse. The compact growth habit is similar to the same characteristicof Debonaire.

The accompaying photographic drawing shows typical inflorescence andfoliage characteristics of Pink Champagne. The drawing is a black andwhite photograph with one flower showing the true color of PinkChampagne.

In the following description, color references are made to the RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determinedbetween 2:00-3:00 p.m. on Sept. 28, 1987 under fluorescent light atParrish, Fla.

Classification:

Botanical.--Chrysanthemum morifolium, Ramat., c.v. Pink Champagne.

Commercial.--Decorative garden mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Double.

Diameter across face.--6-8 cm.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Lavender.

Color (upper surface).--75A-B.

Color (under surface).--75D.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--Yellow.

Color (immature).--Yellow-green.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Very few; present in disc florets only.

Gynoecium.--Present in both disc and ray florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--25-35 cm when grown in a 71/2" pot. Height can vary dependingupon growing conditions, growth regulator applications and othercultural practices.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Ovate with cleft margins.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant namedPink Champagne, as illustrated and described, and parts thereof.